Address—C. Hendricks
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I'd like to turn tonight to John's Gospel.
Chapter 17.
The prayer.
Of the Lord Jesus to his Father.
In chapter 16.
13 through 16 we have the Lord speaking to his disciples and unfolding to them the the new order of things that would be introduced based on His death and resurrection and ascension to God in the sending down of the Holy Spirit.
And the 16th chapter ends with verse 33. These things I have spoken unto you.
He's speaking to his disciples still, that in me he might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world and all those words from 13 through 16, often referred to as the Upper Room Ministry, is a ministry which applies in this present day.
Christ on high, washing our feet so that we might have part with him, fellowship with himself.
The Ascending of the Holy Spirit.
In the 14th chapter, as another comforter, who would?
Be with us and in US, and abide with us forever and ever to be taken from us.
Fruit bearing Chapter 15.
The reduction in the life of the Christian, of the very life of Christ himself.
And in chapter 16, again the Spirit given, and more truth, when he has come, he will bring demonstration to the world of sin.
Of sin because they believe not on me, Of righteousness because I go to my Father, and you see me no more, and of judgment because the Prince of this world is judged. The presence in the world of the Spirit of God is the proof, the demonstration of the world's sin in rejecting Christ and the righteousness of God, and exalting Him to His own right hand in heaven.
And that this world is under judgment. The Prince of this world is judged.
Satan, the God and Prince of this work, called the Prince of this world, and he's also called the God of this world. So he's the one who is over the political arena as well as the religious world.
And he unfolds the blessings that are ours.
In this dispensation of the Spirit, we were noticing in the book of Acts in the reading last night, it's really the acts of the Holy Spirit.
And the Spirit of God having come and these this ministry of the Lord in John 13 through 16 points forward to that and leads the disciples to to raise their eyes from earthly hopes and expectations to heavenly hope.
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you now in the second chapter, John's Gospel.
He speaks of his father's house as the temple on earth, and he casts out the money changers and overturns them and drives them out of the temple. And he says, make not my father's house and House of merchandise. But in John 14, he's not talking about the earthly temple any longer. He says in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And he's gone. He's on high. He's in the glory.
And Christianity takes its character from the place that Christ is now in, and he's in the glory. He's not here.
He's been rejected here, cast out, turned out from this scene, and accepted in heaven. The righteousness of God has exalted him to his own right hand. God's righteous answer to the work that Christ has done for his glory, and He's prepared as a place. As soon as there was a man in the glory, that place was prepared. He could come at any moment, at any moment.
Well, if we were told that the Lord would come tomorrow.
If you knew that.
The first thing you would think of when you woke in the morning is he's coming today.
And everything that you did, you'd be, you'd be looking for him.
And expecting him if you knew when he would be coming, if you knew he would be coming.
June 15th, 1993 You wouldn't be looking for him tomorrow or the next day or the next. You wouldn't be looking for him because.
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You'd know his coming was way off in the distance. So he doesn't tell us when he's coming. And those that would predict when he's coming are really robbing the Christian of the present expectation of the Lords coming. Because the way it's presented in Scripture is that he could come at any moment and we ought to be looking for him every day.
And if I knew he was coming tomorrow, I would live tomorrow with the constant waiting and watching for Him to come, because I know he'd be coming. Well, we ought to be living just like that every day with the constant expectation of His return. John 17 is unique in that he's not addressing the disciples any longer. It says these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven.
And said, father, the hour is come.
Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. Now he's talking to the Father about the disciples. They are the subject of his prayer and of his communication with the Father, but he's speaking directly to the Father. And so we are privileged to to enter this holy of holies, if you will.
Where the Lord is alone with his Father and speaking to him.
About us, about about his own.
And they are the subject of his prayer. We are brought into this later down in the chapter. He speaks of the hour is come. And he's not talking here about the hour of the cross. He's talking about the hour of his glorification. And he says, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.
So from that place in glory that the Father has set him in, He glorifies the Father in a new way. He glorified Him on the earth by doing that work that was given Him to do. He says that in verse four. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gave us me to do. I want to make this comment.
That he speaks here as though the work of the cross was passed.
It was still in front of Him, but in spirit He is beyond it. And so this whole prayer, though it was uttered before the Cross, the the subject matter of it applies after the cross, After the cross, after He had finished the work, He speaks to the Father as though that work was fully accomplished and that the Father was glorified. So He asks now to be set in that glory that He had with the Father before the world was.
Five And now, oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory.
Which I had with thee before the world was. The difference here is that He had that glory with the Father as the eternal Son.
Before He had become a man, before the incarnation, He was there daily, His delight, rejoicing always before him. And then he says, My delights were with the sons of men. And so he took a body, He entered his own creation, became a man. And now he asks as man to be glorified in the into that same glory that he had with the Father before the world was but as a man.
He asked to be reinstated into that glory, but it's a man who's praying this prayer, the eternal Son become a man. Well, going back now to verse one, he says, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that thy Son also may glorify thee. How does the Son from the glory, from the new position that he is in right now?
How does he glorify the Father? Next verse tells us that as thou has given him power over all flesh.
You remember in Matthew 28 he says all power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth, and here He has power over all flesh, but he doesn't use that power yet in in establishing His Kingdom, but rather in communicating eternal life to as many as the Father had given to him.
Thou has given him a power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. This expression thou hast given him is found seven times in the Lords Prayer. Those whom thou hast given me and we are viewed, His disciples are viewed as the love gift of the Father to the Son. So he's especially concerned with and interested in this company.
This company.
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That is the subject of his prayer, and we're brought into it a little bit later in the prayer.
Those that would believe on Him through their word is the company that is the nearest and the dearest to His heart. They are those whom the Father has given to Him. So he views us in that light as the love gift of the Father to himself.
Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him. Why is that so precious? Because it's eternal life that is Christ Himself. He is the true God and eternal life. First John 520 tells us He is that eternal life who was with the Father and was manifested unto us. And now He's communicated that life to you and to me, who believe that we might have fellowship with the Father.
And truly with the Father and the Son.
He tells us what eternal life is in verse 3. This is life eternal.
That they might know thee. The only true God is He's speaking to the Father and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
So eternal life consists in the knowledge of the Father and the Son. The Son down here revealing the Father, making known to us his name. And now he wants us to be brought into the same nearness of relationship and enjoyment of the Father. That was His enjoyment as a man down here in this scene. So he gives us.
Eternal life, the the essence of it is the knowledge of the Father and the Son.
When you look at it in that light, though, I have no doubt that when the Old Testament Saints were born again.
They had divine life, which is eternal, no question about that. But here he says this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, thee the Father and Jesus Christ whom thou sent. So eternal life consists. It's Christian, it's really Christian.
The possession of life in all of the enjoyment and knowledge and fellowship with the Father and with the Son. This, of course, the Old Testament Saints did not have.
In that full sense. So here, when John uses the expression eternal life, there's a fullness to it, the full development of it.
The the full expression of it fellowship to know him the only true God the Father and Jesus Christ who now has sent Abraham knew him as the almighty God. I'm the almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect and as the everlasting God and Moses was told he was.
Introduced to him as Jehovah, the I Am, that I am. And then there's the name of God for the Millennium, the Most High God, and these various names of God. But none of these names is so intimate and so precious as to know him as our Father, and to know the Lord Jesus as he who was sent of the Father, He whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.
That word, behold the bride. If you have that life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you possess the most blessed knowledge possible for a creature to possess, to know the Father and the Son. And that's that's what eternal life consists of. It's the most intimate and blessed of all.
Relationships that we've been brought into life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Life abundantly I am come John 10 The Lord says that they might have life, that they might have it more abundantly the abundant life, and here we have it given by the the Lord from in glory He is glorified because of what He has done for the glory of the Father, and now he glorifies the Father by giving eternal life to as many as the Father has given to him, and that.
Life consists in the knowledge of the Father and the Son.
The sum and substance of all blessedness, both in this life and in that which is to come, is to know God, that He can only be known in His Son, and to know the Father, that's eternal life, The sum and substance of all blessedness is to know Him, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
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We're brought into that the most intimate and blessed of relationships. I have glorified the end the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gave us me to do. He others the words before the Cross, but in spirit He is beyond it here as He speaks of it as a past thing. And then asking the Father to glorify Him with the glory He had the first five. And now, Father, glorify Thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before.
World was before the world was, before he had ever become a man. He was there with the Father.
And had that glory. Now he asked to be reinstated into it as man.
Now in verses 6 through.
13 He puts us in his place before the Father.
I have manifested thy name unto the men, the name of Father unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Notice that's the second time he mentions those whom thou gavest Me. The men which Thou gave us, Me out of the world have manifested Thy name. Father, thine they were, and Thou gave us them me. That's the third time he mentions that the disciples were given to Him.
And they have kept thy word. He looks at their faith, and ascribes the full.
The full value of it before God the Father when he says they've kept thy word. We look at the disciples, the 12 apostles and so on, and we might shake our heads and how could he say they've kept thy word when they failed so? But he's he's looking at their faith and their faith in him and he he puts the full value to it that he sees it has in all its in its.
Intrinsic excellence. They've kept thy word. And he says more of them. He says now they have known.
Notice this wonderful knowledge. That is the portion of those who have been brought into this intimate circle. Now they have known that all things, whatsoever Thou hast given me, are of Thee.
They've come to realize, to know, to understand that all that was given to the Son to do and all His works and all His words when He was here are of the Father. He was the manifestation of the Father.
For I have given unto them the words which thou gave us me.
And they have received them.
And have known surely, that I came out from thee.
And they have believed that thou did send me.
That was something that he said in this gospel over and over again. He was the sent one of the Father. Now he says then the knowledge of those who are his own, whom the Father had given to him as a love gift, and He has given them eternal life, that they might know the Father and the Son. He says now they have known that all things that thou gave us me are of thee, and the words that Thou gavest me.
They have received them and have believed have surely.
They have known, surely, that I came out from thee, and they have believed that Thou did send me.
Precious, precious knowledge.
I pray for them.
I pray not for the world, it isn't the time.
The the time that he's looking at in this prayer is the present day of grace. He's not looking at the Kingdom day, which is still future. He's not praying here for the world. He says, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. So the subject of this prayer is those whom the Father has given to the Son, Those whom thou has given me. That's the 4th mention of.
These that had accompanied him when he was here on earth as being given to him from the Father.
He says, For they are thine Father, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. Wonderful to hear, to be privileged to listen in on this holy, holy, holy prayer of the the Son of God as a man addressing His Father concerning those whom the Father has given to him.
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I pray for them, he says. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me. For they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world. You see, in spirit He was out of the world, though He uttered the prayer in the world, he says. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. So he's uttering this prayer with a view to his returning to the Father, and from that glory giving eternal life to as many as the Father gave him.
Which consists in the knowledge of the Father and the Son, the intimacy of communion and fellowship that he enjoyed. But he was here below. And he says, Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. That's the 5th mention of this.
Company those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.
He is praying for the 12 especially here the disciples that the Father had given him, and he the the prayer expands in a moment to include others ourselves. But now he's looking at those that were given to Him when He was here below on earth. He had manifested the name of the Father to them. He had spoken to them the very words the Father had given him to speak, and he had revealed them to them, the Father, and they had come to know that the Father sent Him.
That he was the sent one of the Father, that thou didst send me wonderful, wonderful knowledge.
He prays verse 11. I'll read it again. Middle of the verse. Holy Father, keep through thine own name.
The the the power of the name, Holy Father, keep them separate. Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are, as the Father and the Son.
Were one in purpose and.
Thought and aimed and desire and will it?
So he prays that we might be, that these disciples might be one as we are. While I was with them in the world. You see, he's speaking here as though he was no longer in the world, but out of it. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name. Those that Thou gave us to me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Referring to Judas.
And now come I to thee.
And these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. What was His joy? His joy was the conscious sense in His soul of always doing the will of the Father. I delight to do thy will. O God, I come to do thy will. It was his joy. And so he said, I speak these things in the world that they might have.
He says even as I am not of the world.
He's been shut out from it, he's been cast out, he's been rejected, and he's now on high, received into glory by God the Father. And he says they are not of the world. The world has heated them because they are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world, the Christian is one who is not of this world.
Now that's a completely different thought than Judaism. Completely different thought.
Judaism. The Jews were of this world. They were a nation, a part of it, but they were to remain separate from the other nations. But they were part of this world nation, one of the many, and they were to be true in separating from the gentile nations. Roundabout. But here he talks about an entirely different line of truth which he had unfolded in the previous chapters. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Verse 15 he says, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world.
But that thou should just keep them from the evil, and he had said in verse.
11 Holy Father, keep through thy own name those whom thou has given me, that they may be one as we are.
And now he prays that they may be kept from the evil that's in the world, but not taken out of it. He's sent us back into it to be a testimony for him, even as he was sent into the world to be a testimony for the Father.
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And then he repeats in verse 16, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. The measure of our separation from the world is described by the words, even as I am not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Verse 17. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
Sanctify them through the truth. We've come to know God as our Father and as the one who has given us to the Son, and we've come to know the sun as scent of the Father. And we believe that. And we also know that the world has hated Him, and it hates us too. If we're true to Him, the truer we are to Him, the more keenly we will feel this hatred.
And the more we fellowship with him every every mark of the world.
Is a reproach to him that is heavenly. Every mark of the world is a reproach to the Christian who is heavenly and identified and associated with this heavenly man, rejected here, but accepted on high. Now He gives us his own life, eternal life, that we might have part with him who is there and enjoy the Father as he did when he was here.
So he prays to the Father. Sanctify them, set them apart, separate them through the truth, the truth that they are one with me, and know thee as Father and the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Sanctify them through the truth. Thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, Even so have I also sent them into the world. He says we're not of it. He's taken us out of it. And he says sanctify them, set them apart. And then he says I'm going to send them back into the world to be a witness for me, even as I was sent into the world to be a witness for the Father, as as thou hast sent me into the world.
Even so, have I also sent them into the world?
That is, He takes this out of it. We're not of it. We belong to Him in that heavenly sphere, and then He sends us back into it, to witness to it, of our portion, and of Himself, and to bring before the world its sin in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then he says, And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. For their sakes I sanctify myself. Now that word sanctify here can't possibly mean to make holy because he was the holy One himself, but it simply means to set apart. And so he says, for their sakes I set myself apart.
And where does he do that? On high in the glory?
He now becomes the heavenly object for his.
For his sanctified people, for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. The truth here in John's ministry is that he's been rejected here by this world system, cast out. God has accepted him, received him into glory, and He's given us eternal life that we might have part with Him where He is.
And that we might be a witness to this world. Actually, the Church is here to continue, if you will, the testimony of Christ to this world of the Father. We're here to continue. That He was that eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us. Now He takes us out of it, gives us that eternal life, sends us back into this world that we might be here for Him as He was here for the Father.
Again I read it as Thou hast sent me into the world, Even so have I also sent them into the world, so as the Father sent the Son to be a witness to this world.
So he has sent you and me into this world to be a witness to this world. And he says, for their sakes, I sanctify myself. I set myself apart on high to become the heavenly object for their souls. None of us, no creature can live without an object.
God doesn't need an object.
He needs. He has objects to love, but he doesn't need an object. He is sufficient in himself, but every creature needs an object.
And what is your object? Well, if you're a Christian, your object is Christ in glory. Christ in glory with his life communicated by that glorified man to you, that you might know the Father and know the Son, and then have a heavenly object before your soul, so that you might pass through this scene in separation from it morally, but witnessing to it the most powerful witness.
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That the church can render.
Our believers can render is going on in. We mentioned that last night. We saw it in Acts 431 and 32.
The the heart and soul of the multitude that believed was one. What a powerful testimony that was the Spirit of God so controlling them that there was no activity of the flesh permitted.
And the Lord says, for their sakes, I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified.
Through the truth, he sets himself apart on high as the heavenly object for his people. Now let's just turn for a moment the 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, where we'll read a verse there that brings that same truth out.
Two Corinthians, chapter 3.
Verse 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit, the Spirit of the Old Testament Scriptures. He is the the subject matter. He is the one of whom it speaks. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Liberty is what characterizes Christian Christian position and condition.
Instead of ******* ******* characterized the giving of the law, the legal system. Liberty characterizes the gift of the spirit. But verse 18 Now we all with open or unveiled face.
Beholding as in a glass should be eliminated, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Our changed are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, or even as by the Lord the Spirit, the sovereign Spirit of God working within us, occupying us with this heavenly Christ, the glory of Christ on high.
There's a there's a marvelous and we can't explain how it happens, but it never fails.
Two Corinthians 318 never fails that if you're truly occupied with Christ and glory in the power of the Spirit, there will be a transformation take place. You will be transformed according to the same image from glory to glory. You can't become like Christ by trying. That's impossible. The only way we can become more like Christ is by beholding the glory of the Lord and the Spirit of God working.
Us with an object outside of ourselves altogether outside of this world, an object in glory. For their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified by the truth. Christ in glory. God has set him there. He becomes the head of a new creation, of a new world altogether, and he becomes the new heavenly object for the Christian and the Spirit of God working it within.
Occupying us with that heavenly object, there is a transformation that takes place.
And that's called practical sanctification.
And that's the only way it can be affected.
The only way it can be affected is by being occupied with this heavenly object. We all, with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed, transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. We can't explain how that process of transformation takes place. It's done by the power of the Holy Spirit as He occupies us with an object in heaven, which is Christ Himself.
And that's what I believe that the Lord is Speaking of in verse 18, Verse 19, excuse me, of John 17. For their sakes, I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
The truth here being the truth of who He is, and the position that He now occupies, that He has been rejected here. He's not of this world. He is the heavenly man, and in that same glory that He had with the Father, but there is a man, and giving eternal life to those whom the Father is given him, that they might be brought into this blessed knowledge of the Father and the Son, and to know the Father.
Him and to have that fellowship and be in the inner secrets of God's thoughts as to what is really Christianity, Christ in glory, a heavenly object, and the people sent back into this world to witness to a heavenly Christ in this scene.
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And now he brings us in.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, that is, those that had been His disciples here below on earth when He was here, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in US, and that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.
Notice he says in verse 8, the end of the verse, These have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that Thou did send me. That's our knowledge.
We've come to believe that the disciples that accompanied with Him, but now the testimony is to be so powerful in unity and oneness that the world will believe that the Father sent Him.
That they all may be one, as thou, Father art in me, and I in thee, That they also may be one in US, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Well, we saw in X4 last night how that that prayer was answered, at least for a time in the history of the church. And from then it's been downhill all the way, sad to say. Now in verse 22, he looks on to a future day, the day of glory. Verse 21 is the day of testimony, and the most powerful testimony that the Christians can render to the world is that they get along with one another.
They walk together in fellowship and in unity and in peace. And when that is manifested, the world takes note. The world notes. And that was true in those early days of power and testimony. Now verse 22 and the glory which thou gave us, me, I have given them notice. He speaks of it as an accomplished thing, and yet it's still future. We don't have it yet.
The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them.
Because in the purpose of God it's as good as done.
That they may be one, even as we are one. One in glory. In verse 21 it's one in testimony, but here it's one in glory.
I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, perfect in the resurrection state, and that the world may know. Not just believe now, but know that Thou hast sent Me. When the world sees US1 with Christ in glory, in that display of glory, they will know the Father sent Him. They'll know something more, and that Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me.
In that wonderful that when the world sees us in glory with Christ, they will know these are the ones.
That the Father has loved, even as he's loved his Son. They'll see us in the same glory with his Son, and they'll come to that knowledge. What a what a wonderful thing that will be.
But there's something even more precious than that outward display of glory.
Glory supreme is there, glory that shines through all more precious still.
That love to share as those that love did call. And that's what we have in verse 24, something even more precious.
Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me. There we have the the 7th mention those whom God has given me, and that includes us. We're brought into that inner circle. The angels don't know any. The angels aren't blessed like this. The angels don't have eternal life. The angels don't know the Father and the Son like we do. The angels aren't brought into this community of life and nature that we're brought into.
The angels aren't in dwelt of the Holy Spirit.
Like we are, the angels aren't the love gift of the Father to the Son. We are, we are. I believe this is an expression that applies to the believers of the present day and not to other believers even, but the believers of the present day. And he says that he asks of this company, Father, I will, I desire that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
He wants us with him.
And once he gathers us to himself, you know Lord's Day morning and when we come together for prayer and for meetings.
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We're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we haven't been gathered to him yet.
That Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verse one. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in our gathering together unto Him, we hadn't been gathered to unto Him yet. We're gathered to His name now, but that day of being gathered unto Him is coming very soon. It may be tonight, and then we'll be with Him forever.
He says that they may be where I am. He wants us with him.
Precious, wondrous thought. How do I know He wants me with Him? How do you know that? Because he said so to the Father right here.
That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.
For thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Here is a unique, special glory which the Father gave to the Son. It's not the glory that he shares with us of verses 22 and 23. That's the public glory that we'll be seeing displayed in with the Lord. But here is this hidden glory that only those who are in this inner circle, this favorite company spoken of as those who Thou has given me.
Only we shall enjoy beholding this glory, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. It seems as though what he's saying in this verse connects with the love that the Father had for the Son even before the world was.
It's an eternal love, and we're brought into that to behold.
The glory that he gave to the Son as man.
And we're going to be gazing upon that glory. We're going to be with him forever, never to be parted from him again. And we're going to be in that scene, which which is is love Supreme is there love that shines through all?
Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.
Then he speaks to the righteous Father, and and he speaks about the world in connection with that expression. Oh, righteous Father, the world hath not known thee.
Why should we ever want to have fellowship with the world? It doesn't know him.
It hasn't been brought into this intimacy of knowledge. It has no part in these things that we've been considering in the in the Lord's Prayer for his own. The world doesn't know him. Why should we want fellowship with this system, with this world?
O righteous Father, he says, the world hath not known thee.
But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me precious, precious knowledge.
We've been brought into that inner circle of knowledge to know that the Father sent him.
And I have declared unto them thy name, the name of the Father.
And I will declare it. He's been declaring it for 2000 years from the glory declaring it.
He said, I have declared it, I will continue to declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me.
Love of the Father for the Son may be in them.
Die in them, Christ in us, as the means of.
Shedding forth that love in our own hearts. The love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them.
And I and them. I don't know of a portion in scripture that rises to higher heights.
Than we have here we have the full Christian position mentioned. We don't have the truth of the one body, but it's it's couched you might say in versus like verse 21 and.
Yet it's it's the unity of the family. I know that it's not the unity of the body, but still.
We have the elements that are developed in the New Testament, all in this prayer of the Father, of the Son to the Father.
And we're brought into it. How blessed a wonderful.
Well, let's close by singing #25.